One of the holiday season’s most anticipated releases is theTom Hankscomedy-dramaA Man Called Otto, based on the bestselling novel “A Man Called Ove” by Swedish authorFredrik Backman. In the film, Hanks' sonTruman Hanksmakes his second big screen appearance, this time playing the younger version of Hanks' character Otto Anderson. Call it nepotism, call it brilliant casting, call it a bit of both, but there’s a long tradition of Hollywood kids being cast as earlier personas of their celebrity parents. Here are some of the most memorable performances by celebrity children playing younger versions of their moms and dads:
Indio Downey in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
A regrettably underrated film that’s equal parts crime thriller, bromance, murder mystery, and film noir homage,Kiss Kiss Bang Bangis also loaded with winks and nods to Hollywood and the movie industry itself. One of those is a bow to Tinsel Town nepotism with the casting ofRobert Downey Jr.’s then twelve-year-old sonIndio Downeyas the child version of Downey Jr.’s character Harry Lockhart. The film’s opening scene is a hazy, sepia-tinted flashback featuring young Harry (Indio) performing as magician “Harry the Great” at a children’s party. Young Indio bears a striking resemblance to his father, and his theatrical presentation of the good ol' “sawing the girl in two” act shows he was also a chip off the acting block. The younger Downey ended up choosing music over acting, but his appearance in this film is memorable for Indio’s enthusiasm and commitment to capturing his dad’s spirit.
Mamie Gummer in Evening (2007)
This tearjerker about the bonds between mothers and daughters and heartbreaking secrets from the past boasts members of two acting dynasties -Vanessa Redgraveand daughterNatasha Richardson, andMeryl Streepand daughterMamie Gummer. But it’s Gummer who portrays a younger version of Streep’s character Lila inEvening. Redgrave plays Ann, a dying woman who wants to cleanse her soul before she departs, and Streep is her best friend from 50 years earlier who arrives to comfort Ann in her final days. While Ann tells her story, audiences flash back and see Gummer as a young Lila. Gummer’s physical resemblance to her mother, as well as her voice, gestures, and facial expressions, is stunning. Watching Gummer, it’s easy to believe she really is a youthful-looking Streep. Gunner wisely underplays the role, never once conveying a “Hey, I’m Meryl’s daughter!” moment. Her presence is unforced and natural, which makes this tragic story all the more compelling and believable. Mother and daughter also teamed up - as mother and daughter - in 1986’sHeartburnand 2015’sRickie and the Flash, but it’s Gunner’s performance inEveningthat’s the real standout.
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Melissa Rivers as Joan Rivers - ‘Joy’ (2015)
Less than a year after her mother’s death,Melissa Riversgot a call from writer-director David O. Russell, asking her if she would be interested in playing mom Joan inJoy, the story of Miracle Mop inventorJoy Mangano’s (Jennifer Lawrence) rise to fame. Melissa plays mama Joan from the 1990s, when she was hosting her own show on the QVC shopping channel. While Melissa’s hair, makeup, jewelry, and clothing in the film are recognizable as quintessential Joan, her performance is low-key and subdued, unlike the vocal, wise-cracking Joan Rivers known to fans.Melissa explained in an interview that neither she nor Russell wanted a caricature or imitation depiction of Joan Rivers. Instead, they wanted to capture Joan’s essence and not the often larger than life public persona. Melissa does an admirable job in the role, showing viewers the “off camera” Joan, a no-nonsense woman with a business to run. It’s interesting to note that Melissa and Joan once appeared onscreen as themselves in the 1994 TV movie,Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story, which chronicled the struggles of the mom and daughter duo following the suicide of Joan’s husband Edgar. That film was critically savaged, so it’s nice to see some redemption for Melissa in the portrayal of her mother in this Oscar-nominated film.
O’Shea Jackson Jr. in Straight Outta Compton (2015)
In his first starring role, the son of rapperIce Cubetook on the role of his own dad inStraight Outta Compton, the story of the evolution of groundbreaking hip hop group N.W.A. To say thatO’Shea Jackson Jr. was stepping into some formidable shoes wouldn’t be an exaggeration. N.W.A was one of the most polarizing musical acts of the late 1980s and early ’90s, with profane songs that decried racism and police brutality, but that at times seemed to glorify violence and drug culture. Ice Cube himself was a divisive figure, and any actor portraying the controversial rapper would have had his work cut out for him. That his own son was able to step up and give a “warts and all” representation is nothing short of brave. Jackson Jr. successfully tapped into the emotional rawness of his father’s ambition, rage, and triumph, and the scenes that depict Ice Cube’s racial victimization at the hands of law enforcement are particularly rough to watch. The novice actor earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination for his extraordinary efforts and went on to a steady and successful acting career, recently appearing as Roken in Lucasfilm’sObi-Wan Kenobi.
Ever Anderson in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
In the sixth installment of theResident Evilfranchise inspired by the video games of the same name,Milla Jovovich’s Alice is back to continue battling it out with infected mutants in an attempt to save humanity from a deadly virus unleashed by the evil Umbrella Corporation. Jovovich’s daughter, 9-year-oldEver Anderson, appears as The Red Queen, who is also a clone of Alice as a child, constructed from young Alice’s DNA. Anderson is surprisingly chilling as she tells her adult self that she has just 48 hours to find and unleash an airborne antivirus before Umbrella unleashes one of their own to wipe out what’s left of the human race. When Anderson delivers the line, “You’re all going to die down here,” it’s eerily reminiscent of youngLinda BlairinThe Exorcisttelling a room full of party guests, “You’re gonna die up there.” Anderson is a promising young actress, and audiences are eager to see her as Wendy in directorDavid Lowery’s (The Green Knight) upcomingPeter Pan and Wendy.
Annie Starke in The Wife (2017)
Glenn Closeearned her 7th Oscar nomination for her role as Joan Castleman, the long-suffering spouse of Nobel prize-winning author John Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) inThe Wife. Much of Joan’s personal story is told in flashback, with Close’s daughterAnnie Starkestepping into the role of young Joan. Contemporary Joan, as played by Close, has abandoned her hopes, as well as her emotions. She’s an empty vessel, a soulless shadow made even more invisible by her husband’s fame and self-admiration. The 1958 version of Joan is played by Starke (no pun intended) in stark contrast. Young Joan is ambitious, dedicated, wearing her emotions on her sleeve, and that’s part of what makesThe Wifeso fascinating to watch, especially with the knowledge that a real-life mother and daughter are playing the same character at such extreme opposites. Starke herself noted that although she and her mother shared no screen time together in the film, they worked together to create the character of Joan at different stages of her life. “The character was a real collaborative effort between mum and me – it would have been impossible to do otherwise if we hadn’t sat round the table discussing every little nuance, since we’re playing the same character,”Starke told the National Newsin a 2018 interview. The work the mother and daughter team did paid off.The Wifeis a heartbreaking look at a woman left behind, and both Starke and Close shine in their depictions of a woman’s gradual emotional disintegration.
Michael Gandolfini in The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
From the momentMichael Gandolfiniappears onscreen as a teenage Tony Soprano inThe Many Saints of Newark, it’s nearly impossible to believe you’re not looking atJames Gandolfinihimself, circa 1967. Michael is the spitting image of his late father, and with every facial expression, every tic, every gesture, he embodies his father’s being. Seven years after the passing of James Gandolfini and 14 years following the final episode ofThe SopranosTV series, directorAlan Taylorwent back in time to tell the big screen story of the making of Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano. Re-creating one of television’s most iconic characters could not have been easy for the younger Gandolfini, and in a 2021New York Times interview Michael acknowledged the gravity of carrying on his father’s legacy. “The pressure is real. There’s fear. But the second layer, that a lot of people don’t think about, which was actually harder, is to play Tony Soprano.” Michael certainly rose to the occasion, creating his own standalone character, but imbuing it with all the best and most menacing pieces that audiences loved - and hated - about Tony Soprano.
Tina Fey and Alice Richmond in ‘30 Rock’ (2012)
While she didn’t have a speaking part - or even amovingpart - a special shout-out is necessary forTina Fey’s daughterAlice Richmond, who had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-moment in the “Mazel Tov, Dummies!” episode of Fey’s hilarious TV series30 Rock. Fey’s Liz Lemon is about to marry boyfriend Criss (James Marsden) at City Hall, and even though she longs for a traditional wedding with all the trimmings, she desperately tries to convince Criss (and herself) that she thinks big weddings are stupid. In conveying her contempt for overblown nuptial ceremonies, Liz tells Criss about the time she was a 7-year-old flower girl at her Aunt Linda’s wedding, and how proud she was of displaying her first ever epic eye roll when Linda kissed the groom. There’s a quick cut to a still picture of a young girl with over-sized glasses and aDorothy Hamillhairdo pointing to the smooching couple behind her while grimacing and displaying a pair of eyes that practically recede into her head. The look is unmistakeably of the Fey variety, and no one but her own daughter could have pulled off such a classic “I’m so over this” face. Even with that small moment, young Alice proved that the comedy apple doesn’t fall far from the family tree.
